


Remedy

by StarshineAndBooks



Category: Sanders Sides (Web Series)
Genre: Angst, F/F, Gen, Linda dies, M/M, Multi, Penny is the Printer, Several LAOFT characters mentioned, it's okay it's a happy ending
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-05-01
Updated: 2020-05-01
Packaged: 2021-03-01 16:55:37
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,386
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23940415
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/StarshineAndBooks/pseuds/StarshineAndBooks
Summary: This is cross posted on Tumblr. For the amazing SoDoRoses. This is based on the love and other fairytales series they have written, and takes place centuries after the main series ends.
Relationships: Anxiety | Virgil & Creativity | Roman & Logic | Logan & Morality | Patton & Thomas Sanders, Anxiety | Virgil/Creativity | Roman/Logic | Logan/Morality | Patton
Comments: 3
Kudos: 37
Collections: Everything LAOFT





	Remedy

**Author's Note:**

  * For [SoDoRoses (FairyChess)](https://archiveofourown.org/users/FairyChess/gifts).
  * Inspired by [Forever](https://archiveofourown.org/works/23926279) by [SoDoRoses (FairyChess)](https://archiveofourown.org/users/FairyChess/pseuds/SoDoRoses). 



> This is cross posted on Tumblr. For the amazing SoDoRoses. This is based on the love and other fairytales series they have written, and takes place centuries after the main series ends.

If you asked three people how to get to Whickhills you’d have gotten four different answers. That was decades ago. Now, you get four answers, but they aren’t the same as they might have been.

When you make it to whickhills, especially if it’s around the pagan holidays. Most Notably Beltane, Halloween, and Samhin. Or, the summer solstice, all hallow’s eve, and the winter solstice.

The people of Whickhills will chase visitors out before nightfall, to protect the visitors. However, the most infamous family to chase someone out is the Picani-Adams clan, about half of them are sweet as pie, and the other is hell on wheels.

There are several families that are a little odd, they live in whickhills, all the families are odd. But a few stand out more than others.

The Whitaman family, distantly related to the knight of the spider prince’s court. The line split well before Margretta Fischer, if anyone had cared to know, most did not. A line of witches, though the last four generations have been hybrids, half fairy half witch. But the best in town for getting messages to and from the dead. The eldest still living, and most powerful in that family, Bia as everyone calls her, is said to have known the Spider Prince years and years ago. Bia was one of Roman’s friends, but not a close one until many years had passed and the witch himself had turned grey.

The Picani-Adams family, like stated before, are either the sweetest people in the world, or the most chaotic. Though they tend to like coffee, and know how to brew. With a definite sass streak, even in the sweet members of the clan, they can and will retaliate if pushed. The family has a nose for trouble, and a taste for adventure. But even stronger, they have a deep bond that few understand. The Picani-Adams also have a penchant for pranks, and the weird ability to stay out of trouble.

The Waller family is known for big blue eyes and even more so for strawberry blonde curls. They all have a pretty voice, though not the magic kind that the most famous Waller, Patton, had in his life. The Wallers are very loyal, and still run a farm. They still have the old barn door, where there are initials and messages carved into the old decaying wood.

The Sanders family, the most noticeably magic family. They all have some gift or other, the gift or storytelling, the gift or persuasion, the gift or wisdom. Many different gifts. Many different names and faces. Occasionally you’ll find a Sanders with slightly suspicious eyes, not often, but maybe the eyes are just slightly too much one color. 

The Pennybackers. They have a penchant for befriending spiders. They're typically kind, though the stray jerk is known to happen. With an affinity for stripes and oddly enough German, this family is loyal to the end.

There are also places that stand out, even to those that have lived there their entire life.

The old Gage house. It’s orchards are still tended to, but no one is quite sure who does it. The garden is still maintained and pumpkins grow very well in the soil, though no one knows why. Some times, especially around Beltane, Sahmin, and halloween, the chimney has smoke coming from it and steps can be seen in the dirt path. Chickens are still kept in the coop.

A clearing in the woods, violets grow around it’s borders. Thornless blackberry bushes, and thornless red roses grow to the east. To the west in the clearing, marigolds and little blue flowers grow. Belladonna in the center, around an apple tree. Some people say the plants represent the Spider prince and his consorts. Some say the Lynx Queen uses it as her personal garden. Some say it’s the summer who looks half rotten, using his powers for good.

The graveyard. That often stands out to people, but this one isn’t the normal reason. It has flowers that grow across it and moss across every inch. The flowers that enter the place never die. The headstones stay clear and unweathered. Windchimes hang around the place, but they never seem creepy.

Linda leans against the old Gauge house, it’s about two fifty in the morning on what is now Halloween. Everyone is asleep. Except apparently Linda, her wife Percy, their daughter Penny, and Linda’s pseudo uncle Remus.

A figure approaches the quartet, long air moving in the soft autumn breeze.

“You’re earlier than I expected.” The woman, Bia, smiles.

“I’m anxious is what I am.” Linda snorts.

Bia smiles softly, “I wouldn’t be. The things that went after your grandmother are gone.”

“So is she though.”

Bia just shakes her head, “I’m just here to help you reach out to them you know.”

“I know. Thank you Bia.”

“Bianca. My name, it’s Bianca.”

“What?”

“A gift kitty.” She smiles warmly, “Long overdue. Unasked for and freely given. Linda, your birthday was a few days ago, I’m sorry I was gone.”

“It’s just my Eight hundreth ninety second birthday.” Linda frowns, “It’s not important.”

Bia pulls something from her coat pocket, “Yeah it is kitty girl.”

Linda snorts, shaking her head, “If you say so.”

“It’s important Linny.” Percy says sharply, “I said so”

“Mom’s right mama.” Penny grins, her slightly too sharp teeth glinting.

Bia hands Linda an object, “I found it the other night, cleaning out some old boxes.”

Linda looks down, opening the small box she was handed. Several pieces of jewelry sit in it, all with her father’s guild and magic in them.

“How?”

“The town decided I should have all of them. And when they were all given to me it was so fresh I thought it would hurt you. I shouldn’t have kept them so long, they aren’t mine.”

“No, no, it's not okay. Thank you.” Linda looks up, forcing a smile.

Bia smiles softly, “You don’t have to fake it Linda. I’m sure Remus, Percy, and Penny can take you not smiling.”

“We can Linny.” Percy says.

“C’mon Bobby.” Remus grins, “Let it go.”

Linda blinks, still straining her smile, “Why would you say I am faking a smile?”

Bia just hums, “you’re about as good at it right now as your papa was at lying.”

Linda rolls her eyes, “Whatever. Just tell them I love them, and miss them, and uh- thanks for everything.”

“I will. Anyone else want to add?”

“They raised a good girl.” Percy hums, “And I’m glad they had her”

“It’s boring here without them, no one to bother really.” Remus adds.

“I wish I had met them. They seem nice?” Penny adds.

Bia nods. She sits down in the grass, legs crossed and eyes closed. She hums softly, a hint of magic to her voice.

Her thoughts echo across the yard, the words each person asked to have relayed playing in the person’s voice. At the very end of the list it goes silent.

Bia stays still and quiet, breathing deeply.

A minute passes before she stands turning to Linda and smiling softly

“They say happy late birthday kitty girl. And that they’re proud of you.”

Bia turns to Percy, “They’re glad Linda has you.”

Penny looks up when Bit turns to her, “And that they will be glad to meet you one day in the far, far future.”

“And me?” Remus asks.

Bia laughs softly, “That you haven’t changed a bit.”

Bia pushes to her feet, stopping when she catches sight of twelve crows, who caw.

“Well that’s not great.” She sighs, shaking her head. 

“What's not great?”

“Twelve crows.”

“What?”

Bia laughs softly, “Surely May taught you the old crow rhyme. Twelve as I head it means a journey that’s soon at it’s end if I remember right.”

“Oh.” Linda sighs, “But that doesn't make sense.”

“It never does.”

Bia sighs, “I should go. Deliliah will be worried if I’m late. Good night, I’ll see you later.”

“Good night Bianca.” Linda calls.

-__+__-

A month passes and no one seems to remember the crow warning. Because, it isn’t often that twelve crows group on the roof of an old house. 

Linda finds herself faced with a hunter, unfortunately she wasn’t fast enough and she gets shot. It was an accident, the hunter mistook her for a cat.

But the bullet is iron.

The pain she feels while she slowly burns and dies while her body tries and fails to heal is excruciating. She screams, and screams. Her voice distorting and multiplying, making even her own brain buzz.

Remus finds her first, dropping to his knees, “Bobby, kid?”

She screams louder.

“Linda.” He says, and he never calls her that, “Linda listen to me, you’ll be okay.”

Linda thrashes as he tries to soothe her. She was shot right below the heart. It has already started to burn from the iron. She won’t live, she knows it.

Remus shakes his head, he can’t let her suffer. 

Percy rushes and drops to her own knees, Penny in tow.

“You have to send her.” Remus says slowly.

“I don’t- I do don’t I?”

“You have to.”

“Linda, daughter of Spider prince changeling siren and witch, Lynx Princess, autumn, Tochter Spinne, wife of lake, mother of summer, go home.” Percy says thickly, “And don’t wait for me.”

Linda loses life quickly, but her horrible agonized screaming does quiet.

Remus looks to Percy, “It’s good that you’re already in charge, and even better we’ve sworn to you. But-” He chokes, “There’ll be trouble without Linda.”

Percy nods, looking rather numb.

“You’ll die too now won’t you mom?” Penny speaks up, “Like mama?”

Percy turns, shaking her head, “No. Not while you still need me.”

“Thank you.” Percy whispers.

Percy smiles softly, mechanically, “We had better go tell everyone then.”

-__+__-

Linda looks up from where she lays, big puffy white clouds sit in the blue sky with the sun bright behind her. She registers that she lays in shallow water, and smells the ocean. She turns to realize that she’s on a beach, and wonders idly why the salt in the water doesn't sting.

She slowly pushes to sit up, glancing around. There’s a forest to her right, and she tilts her head, wondering where she is to begin with.

The afterlife. 

She sighs, supposing she would be. She can’t hear Percy, or feel her loved ones’ magic. 

Linda pushes to her feet, shoving her wild curls behind her ears. She starts off towards the forest, walking slowly and keeping her senses alert.

She recognizes the trees to be apple trees. Odd.

Linda walks through the forest, catching sigh of a ladder against a tree further ahead. She shrugs, wandering over. Maybe it’s one of her parents, likely her pop, Roman Gauge.

She makes it to the ladder and finds a woman with a mane of fiery hair at the top.

“You’re not my pop.” She says, her voice scratchy and petulant. “If this is the afterlife, why isn’t he here?”

The woman turns and her face twists weird before recognition crosses it. She looks excited and upset at once, as though someone just showed her the love of her life, but she realized she couldn’t have them.

“Linda?”

Linda squints up at her, “Who’s askin’?”

“I’m Abbey. Abbey Gauge.”

“Pop’s ma?” She asks, a little confused.

Abbey nods, “They’ll be surprised. What happened sweetheart?”

Abbey blinks up at Abbey, “you look like pop.”

“Thank you.”

“I was shot under my heart by an iron bullet. It was an accident though.” Linda sighs, “But- they’re all here? Right? My dads, and Brian, my uncles, everyone?”

Abbey nods, “But mom’s gonna kill you. It’s so early for you Linda.”

“Well, I didn’t plan to die.” She scoffs, a teasing tone.

“Good. They’re straight ahead.” She points to the left.

Linda grins, “Really?”

“Really Linda.”

“Thank you!” Linda calls, dashing to the direction she was pointed to.

Linda runs as fast as she can, Dizzy and Jax ending up joining her in her run. Well, Jax is flying, but, same thing.

Linda runs smack into Brian, flinging her arms around him. Brian falls flat on his back, stunned.

Jem blinks down at them, he had been talking to Brian, “L-Linda?”

“Jem.” Linda says firmly, burrowing her face into Brian’s chest, “Brian. Oh my god.”

Brian hugs Linda tightly, “Linny? What-”

“Iron is a really horrid way to die B. Zero ten, do not recommend.”

Brian lets out a startled chuckle, “God Linny, you’re early.”

“I already told Abbey, I didn’t plan to die!”

“I should hope not. Virgil'd skin you before anyone else had a chance.”

“I’m glad to see you though.”

“I’m glad to see you too Linda. I just wish you, y’know.”

“I know.”

Brian lays on the ground, hugging Linda, with the biggest smile on his face. Linda has buried her face into her slightly older cousin, smiling brightly. Not that anyone could tell.

“B?” Thomas asks, “Who’s that?”

Brian and Linda stand up, dusting themselves off. Brian grins at his dad.

Linda turns, smiling, “Thomas!”

Thomas barley braces himself before Linda hugs him tightly, throwing herself at him full force. Linda is purring and realizes she has been since she first tore off towards where Abbey pointed her.

“Linny.” Thomas laughs softly, “What happened?”

Linda shakes her head, “Tell you all at once?”

Thomas nods, “You’re so strong. We’re so proud of you.”

“Why, I’m dead.”

“So are we.”

Linda snorts, “But y’all are s’possed to be. Everyone acts like I’m not s’possed to be.”

“Oh Linda, we’re just sad that you’re not with your family anymore.”

“You’re my family.”

“So is Percy.”

“Percy!” Linda tenses, “Oh god, I left her with Penny.”

“Penny?”

“My daughter.”

Brian smiles, “Who’d you think said they wished they’d met us?”

“Would you please move?!” A voice demands.

Linda turns slowly in her uncles arms to see her four men who look mostly like her parents, but very young.

“Are those?”

“Yeah.” 

Linda breaks free of Thomas’ arms and sprints towards her parents. Roman, used to this, even now, especially now, picks her up and spins her in a happy circle.

“Kitty girl!” Roman beams, “Oh god, look at you. Look at how pretty my baby is!”

Linda laughs gently, “Po-op.” She whines, “Lemme down, I wanna hug you proper!”

Roman shakes his head, “Nope, my little princess is here, and I’m going to spin her forever!’ He continues to spin her, making her laugh.

“Roman, set her down. I should like to meet my granddaughter properly now.” A woman says.

Linda looks to the woman as Roman sets her down, hugging her from behind.

The woman is clearly a faerie, and almost certainly unseelie. Her hair is long, inky black tendrils that seem to ripple and move. She has glowing purple eyes, much like Virgil’s own. She has skin even paler than Virgil’s, pure white like the snow. Blood red lips. She almost looks like snowhite, if snowwhite made everything feel cold, and dimmed the light just around her.

The woman’s shadow seems sentient, like peter pan’s.

But the voice, she’s heard that voice once in her life, years and years, and years ago.

“Grandmother?” Linda asks, “Is that you?”

The woman nods, smiling softly, “Yes, dear, it is. You can call me as you like, some call me Cara.”

Linda smiles gently, “Grandmother, thank you.”

“What for?”

“Everything.” Linda says softly, “But especially for Penelope.”

“It’s nothing dear. How is she?”

“She was fine when I saw her this morning.”

“She would be taking her mother’s death hard.” Cara says softly, fondly even.

“You-” PAtton chokes.

Linda nods, “I do”

Virgil looks to Linda and surges forward to hug her. “I’m sorry, leaving your child is not easy.”

Linda hugs Virgil back tightly, “No, vati, it isn’t.”

The group hugs and switches places repeatedly. They end up clutching at each other for four hours. Until May shows up.

“Ms. Kitty.”

“Mrs. Kitty actually mamaw.” Linda chirps, sitting up, “Heya!”

May does lecture her, much like everyone predicted. For all of about a minute before she’s crying and Linda is hugging her, having moved quickly again.

-__+__-

That night, at dinner, Linda tells her family what she can.

“My daughter, Penelope, Penny for short, she’s a summer. She’s part wolf, she can speak to canines. The sweetest kid I’ve ever met. She’s got Percy’s green hair, but my skin. And she’s got quicksilver eyes with green in them. She loves art, she often makes us buy her more magenta ink despite the fact she’s using b;lack at the moment.”

“She sounds wild.” Brian grins, “But she’s yours.”

“She won’t hold still long enough to get a braid in her hair, always trying to chase a squirrel.” Linda huffs, “I’m so sorry daddy.”

Patton laughs softly, “It’s okay Linny.”

-__+__-

Not many people can say they even remember what saved the town from the fabled snake king, or that they remember the first Sander family member getting blessed. A few can. 

In the town library there’s a series, called love and other fairy tales. The series captures the stories of the Spider Prince and his consorts. There’s a second series, labeled extended tales of fairies and love. A continuation of the first if you will. It still isn’t over, and it fills shelves that keep multiplying. 

No one is sure who is writing them. Except, two people.

Bia Whitaman, and the lake Princess, Percy. The two women combined their magic to cast the spell that will write the books for them, under the pen name, Vi.

In the second series, lies every story Brian Sanders ever told, every love felt by not only Logan and his husbands, but their friends. In that series lies Linda’s first love, and her wedding. In that series lies Penny’s first heartbreak that will inevitably happen. And in that series, lies a little of the magic the characters had.

Children still whisper about the snake king in ghost stories. The romantics at heart still fawn over the love that was shared between four powerful men. And mothers still marvel at Dorthoy Sanders’ defending of her children, blood and not.

If anyone cares to know about the characters from the series, because the books can’t capture everything just the most important bits of course, it’s rumored that if you go to the odd clearing with the apple tree at night, that one of four figures will wait for you, ready to answer your questions.

One of them is the Lake princess herself, her green hair ever flowing and blue tinted skin. Another is the summer who is known for looking horribly rotten and smelling rancid, but he’s rumored to have a big heart. A third is Bia Whitaman, her ever black hair inky and wild, her green eyes piercing and kind. The last, is the Wolf Princess, her green hair and silver eyes vigilant and wild.

They’ll tell you many stories. 

Maybe you’ll hear about a set of brothers loyal to each other more than to any one else, one of them is a changeling with silver eyes and a big heart, and the other is a human with the kindest soul they’ve ever met. Or they might tell you about a self sacrificing witch who needed to get out of his own head and realize how loved he really was. Or maybe they’ll tell you about the farm boy with an enchanting voice?

Perhaps they’ll tell you about The therapist and the brewer. Or maybe the wild Lynx Princess. Maybe the spiteful but loving old woman. Or the eternally strong Dot and her loving husband Larry. Maybe she’ll tell you about Kai, or Sloane, or Corbin. Maybe the man who took the changeling’s brother’s heart. Maybe the child who tld the best stories.

They will tell you about a storyteller and the lynx princess. They will tell you about the Spider Prince braiding his child’s hair.

But their favorite story to tell, even if it is in writing in the library, will always start with how to get to Whickhills. 

Everyone says differently, but the best answer is that you have to listen to your instincts.


End file.
